Since their beginnings at the turn of the 2010s, the Canadians of Counterparts have established themselves as one of the standard-bearers of a melodic, cathartic metalcore, heir to the genre’s melancholic tradition. Album after album, the Hamilton outfit refine a writing in which sonic violence serves as an outlet for an intimate distress. A Eulogy for Those Still Here extends and concentrates this approach with renewed intensity.
The critics hail the record (an 82 average across eight reviews), underlining a recovered emotional maturity and coherence. Counterparts invent nothing new, but execute their purpose with a conviction and an accuracy that command respect. The title itself — a eulogy for those still here — says everything about the subject: mourning, loss, survival.
Musically, the band master the art of balance between detonation and melody. Devastating breakdowns rub shoulders with luminous, almost post-hardcore guitar soars, while Brendan Murphy’s raw voice carries lyrics of disarming sincerity. The dense, organic production showcases this permanent tension between shadow and clarity.
The reproach, ever the same, lies in a form of predictability. Counterparts work within a narrow frame, whose every corner they know, and the assiduous listener will hardly be surprised. The record refines more than it reinvents, and one would sometimes like the band to venture off the genre’s marked paths.
Verdict: 8/10. An intense, sincere record confirming Counterparts among the safe bets of an emotional metalcore. No revolution, but of fine standing.
